Adapted from the Smitten Kitchen, these “hand pies” are fun because they’re individual sized for easy pie-to-go snacking. You can swap out the strawberries for any in-season fruit because they are the best with the freshest fruit possible. Once you learn the subtle art of a lard-based pie dough, the sky's the limit!

Instructions:

Start with a simple “pate brisee” pie dough. Any pastry chef will tell you that lard makes the most delicious pie doughs, but butter is more popular since good lard is hard to find.

In a large bowl mix in the flour, salt and sugar. Measure out a cup of chilled lard. Using a pastry knife or your fingers, incorporate the lard in the dry mixture until the lard is broken into pea sized balls. Add the ice water a tablespoon at a time stirring gently until the dough just comes together.

Do not overwork the dough. The secret to a flaky crust is the fat staying intact until it bakes. On a lightly floured surface bring the dough into a ball. Wrap it in plastic wrap. At this point, refrigerate the dough for at least and hour and up to a day. You could also freeze the dough and use it on another day.

Prepare the strawberry filling. Hull and slice the strawberries into quarters. Mix in the sugar and cornstarch.

Preheat the oven to 425° F.

After the dough has sufficiently chilled, bring it out onto a floured surface. Roll out the dough to about an ⅛ inch thick. This takes some effort. Make sure as you roll the dough that it’s not sticking to your flour surface. Continually lift the dough and re-flour as necessary.

Use a 5 inch round cutter to make 12 circles. It will most definitely be necessary to reform the dough to make all 12.

Arrange the dough rounds on two separate baking sheets lined with parchment.

Add a spoonful of strawberry mixture to each.

Beat an egg, and brush some egg onto the lip of each round to help it seal.

Carefully fold the rounds in half sealing up the strawberries. You may have to rearrange some berries to make them fit neatly in the pies.

Use a fork to seal the edges. Brush egg over top. Cut a small slit in the top of each and dust with sanding sugar.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Allow them to cool on a rack.

These are enjoyed best warm from the oven, but will last a week in a airtight container (although I doubt they'll last that long). Savor the sweet fruit and extra fluffy crust with a cold glass of goat milk.